Spring offers no break for deputies (GALLERY)

Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Barefield uses an Alcoblow electronic detector to check for alcohol in a drink as spring breaker Wesley Bell looks on near the Whale’s Tale in Miramar Beach. The Sheriff’s Office has implemented a no tolerance policy for underage drinkers, which did not include Bell.

DEVON RAVINE / Daily News

By ANGEL McCURDY / Daily News

Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 05:18 PM.

MIRAMAR BEACH — Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Barefield smiled for the camera Wednesday afternoon as a group of spring breakers crowded around him for a photo.

Barefield, a member of the Sheriff’s Office’s marine patrol unit, said he’s not out to stop the fun for the thousands of spring breakers that crowd South Walton’s beaches in March and April. He just wants to keep it safe.

Unfortunately, as the last few days of arrests and evictions have shown, that attitude doesn’t seem to curb underage drinking or other illegal activities.

Every day for the next few weeks, the Sheriff’s Office and partnering agencies will have 25 to 30 people patrolling the beaches and neighboring areas to help in the proactive approach Adkinson planned to take this year.

The marine patrol unit also has added a mobile command center that law officers use as an office to process paperwork for spring breakers caught breaking the law.

“I never thought I’d see the day when we’d be issuing as many NTAs (notices to appear in court) as we are,” Adkinson said Wednesday morning as he watched spring breakers make their way to the beach about 11:30 a.m. “You can get control of it; it’s just a matter of will power.

"We’re setting a culture for what’s not acceptable.”

Adkinson anticipates deputies will issue the same number of notices to appear this week as they did during the entire spring break last year. Students who are issued the notices can either go to court to challenge it or pay a $250 fine.

Most students opt to pay the fine rather than return for a court appearance, Adkinson said.

In addition to more citations, Adkinson said it seems there are more spring breakers than years past.

While the exact reason isn’t clear, law officers believe it’s likely because of so many schools having spring break at the same time.

For students like University of Mississippi senior Chase Taylor, the reason for coming to South Walton is simple.

“It’s cleaner,” Taylor said as he sipped on his drink in a red solo cup. “The beach is prettier, there’s nicer people and better looking women.”

Other spring breakers shared his opinion. They emphasized that Panama City was the wrong kind of spring break party in their minds.

“This is where everyone was going,” said 19-year-old Madi Rightley from Texas Christian University. “It’s nice beaches for the day and at night we go to the bars.”

Each morning as spring breakers sleep off the night before, deputies meet at the mobile command unit to discuss how they will approach the day and the trials it might present, Barfield said.

In the last week alone, Barfield said he not only has seen deputies getting hit with footballs and flip flops, but has seen more than one have to chase students down the beach.

“I’m definitely ready for a break come April,” Barefield said as he printed NTAs to prepare for Wednesday’s lawbreakers. “What we’re trying to do is have a presence here with the deputies, patrol vehicles and the command center.

“Everybody knows we’re here.”

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MIRAMAR BEACH — Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Barefield smiled for the camera Wednesday afternoon as a group of spring breakers crowded around him for a photo.

Barefield, a member of the Sheriff’s Office’s marine patrol unit, said he’s not out to stop the fun for the thousands of spring breakers that crowd South Walton’s beaches in March and April. He just wants to keep it safe.

Unfortunately, as the last few days of arrests and evictions have shown, that attitude doesn’t seem to curb underage drinking or other illegal activities.

Every day for the next few weeks, the Sheriff’s Office and partnering agencies will have 25 to 30 people patrolling the beaches and neighboring areas to help in the proactive approach Adkinson planned to take this year.

The marine patrol unit also has added a mobile command center that law officers use as an office to process paperwork for spring breakers caught breaking the law.

“I never thought I’d see the day when we’d be issuing as many NTAs (notices to appear in court) as we are,” Adkinson said Wednesday morning as he watched spring breakers make their way to the beach about 11:30 a.m. “You can get control of it; it’s just a matter of will power.

"We’re setting a culture for what’s not acceptable.”

Adkinson anticipates deputies will issue the same number of notices to appear this week as they did during the entire spring break last year. Students who are issued the notices can either go to court to challenge it or pay a $250 fine.

Most students opt to pay the fine rather than return for a court appearance, Adkinson said.

In addition to more citations, Adkinson said it seems there are more spring breakers than years past.

While the exact reason isn’t clear, law officers believe it’s likely because of so many schools having spring break at the same time.

For students like University of Mississippi senior Chase Taylor, the reason for coming to South Walton is simple.

“It’s cleaner,” Taylor said as he sipped on his drink in a red solo cup. “The beach is prettier, there’s nicer people and better looking women.”

Other spring breakers shared his opinion. They emphasized that Panama City was the wrong kind of spring break party in their minds.

“This is where everyone was going,” said 19-year-old Madi Rightley from Texas Christian University. “It’s nice beaches for the day and at night we go to the bars.”

Each morning as spring breakers sleep off the night before, deputies meet at the mobile command unit to discuss how they will approach the day and the trials it might present, Barfield said.

In the last week alone, Barfield said he not only has seen deputies getting hit with footballs and flip flops, but has seen more than one have to chase students down the beach.

“I’m definitely ready for a break come April,” Barefield said as he printed NTAs to prepare for Wednesday’s lawbreakers. “What we’re trying to do is have a presence here with the deputies, patrol vehicles and the command center.